


Birthdays

by notcrindy



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, btw Taako dies at the end of old age but its ok, but idk if that's the right label for this anyway, character studies or w/e are my jamz, hes ok and its good, i wrote this for twinsweek hello, just a lot of birthdays y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 00:45:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13513218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notcrindy/pseuds/notcrindy
Summary: "She only made it on Lup's birthday."(Taako's too, huh? He was always forgetting.)





	Birthdays

On the day Taako was born, his parents were profoundly distraught.

They were expecting twins. It would have been a lie to say that either of them had been truly caught off-guard because as they watched her mounting belly grow, they knew there was no other explanation. They hoped against hope it wasn’t true; twins were bad luck, after all, nearly a curse. They barely knew how they were going to provide for one child with the amount of money and lifestyle both of them led, much less _two._ But they were especially repulsed when the second twin came after the first one.

It wasn’t his fault.

He was just next in line, last place. He’d just happened to be.

They still hated him for it.

They named her _Chaalupa,_ something that in their family tongue meant _firestarter, spitfire, glow in the dark crackling sound. The red of a leaf on the tree._ It had more than one meaning, depending upon context; all of them seemed to suit her just fine as she let out an ear-splitting _wail,_ kicking and screaming and _fighting_ her way into the world and all of its injustices with a will someone so tiny should not have already possessed. They did not know her to be female yet, but it did not matter. It suited her either way.

She didn’t want to push the other one out of her. She didn’t want to burden her family with this terrible curse. There were tears in her eyes as she did it anyway, and it took extra effort. Not because he was any _bigger_ than his twin, certainly not, but because he needed the extra push. He didn’t want to leave either. He was reluctant to enter the world; he was cowardly even before he knew it. He was too weak and too frail to be easy.

What this meant was that the first curse they brought upon the family was a death.

What this meant was that the man was so worried, so wrapped up in grief and hurt and anger, that when they asked for the other child’s name he spit it out like a bad joke. _Taako._ Just their last name, with one letter changed. It had no other important meaning; it was not anything significant. It was not anything beautiful. It meant what it meant, that this world would never have any room for him, just as his mother’s womb shouldn’t have. It meant that he was so unwanted he wasn’t to be given a proper name at all.

This was the way Taako entered the world, resigned to Fate.

He was already profoundly tired of it all.

 

* * *

 

 

On the day Taako transitioned from toddler to child, no one noticed.

No one noticed because it was Lup’s birthday. She got their aunt’s turkey; she got the family’s adoration. She got the piñata and smacked it open with a ferocity that made Taako nervous, spilling its sweet guts all over the grass. She ate her prizes with victory, but not greed, as she split some of the spoils with Taako anyway.

“Why?” He asked, genuinely confused. “It’s your birthday.”

“Because it’s _your_ birthday too, dingus,” she said simply, as though she hadn’t forgotten.

He had. He ate the candy and then, later, after she let him help her extinguish the flames (she never liked to do that anyway), she gave him his own piece of cake. It had her name on it, but it had to do. They ate their sweets as though they’d never run out, as though they weren’t destined to in just a year’s time. He flicked frosting on her nose. She threw wrappers at him.

They celebrated together.

 

* * *

 

On the day Taako became an adolescent, Lup had something _special_ planned.

She wouldn’t tell him what it was, but Taako wasn’t an idiot; he was a _twin,_ and that meant she had a hard time pulling a fast one on him. In those days, they couldn’t afford much downtime; between working at different caravans and doing dirty side jobs just so they could afford to buy basic necessities, their time was usually spent. So Taako thought it was silly, really, almost too sentimental that she still cared one bit about their birthday. They were practically adult now, anyway; wasn’t it _kid stuff?_

She took a day off from underground fighting shit and asked him to do the same, to _treat himself,_ and then come back. He didn’t know what it meant to treat himself, honestly. Even the glitz ‘n’ glam, the fancy clothes ‘n’ makeup that he was already rocking at such a young age, weren’t necessarily a luxury. They were cheap trash, designed specifically not to make _himself_ feel pretty but to make him seem pretty to _other people._ Lup always got the little gifts, the sweet things. Taako had no time for them; life on the road was about looking out for _her,_ and making sure they survived to the next day.

But he walked into town, uncomfortably aware of the types of people he would usually present himself to staring at his ass, heels click-clacking with a new kind of uncertainty, and looked around. He didn’t really need any jewelry; he fashioned most of his out of stray pieces of wire, broken glass bits that shined and dazzled but weren’t really anything. One time, he’d found a little fake blue stone that made him think of sapphire, and he made himself a necklace out of scraps ‘n’ inauthentic shit. He was satisfied with this. His clothes made do, too; they were too tight and mostly uncomfortable, but they were flashy and they fit his purposes.

It wasn’t until he saw the hat.

It wasn’t a particularly expensive hat, either. It was worn blue, old, already patched up. Its brim was so wide he could hide under it, which he liked immediately. It had a little silver star on the end made of tinsel, so silly that it almost worked. The inside was this absurd maroon plush, and it was profoundly comfortable. He bought it on the spot, and understood what treating himself was as he also helped himself to some sewing supplies, a zebra-printed fabric, a pink ribbon, and some rhinestones and glue. He bought Lup some fire-red lipstick before he left; he wanted to make sure she got something nice.

Since Lup wasn’t done when he got back, he began to work on the hat immediately. He told her if he couldn’t see his surprise yet, then she couldn’t see the hat. He worked, threading the needle and the fabric until the patch of zebra print stood out like a sore thumb, and he put some on the inside with the maroon plush just for shits ‘n’ giggles. He glued rhinestones on meticulously, all of them fake glam bullshit, all of them catching the light in artificial plastic ways, none of them matching the actual colors of the hat. Most of them orange and green, some of them blue, some of them pink and yellow. Then, he tied the pink ribbon around the brim of the hat, and that was what it was.

He kind of wished he had spent time baking Lup a cake since it was her birthday, but–-

–-he _loved_ that hat.

She called to him that his surprise was ready. He skidded over, proud to show off his new hat.

“So, sis,” he joked, “what d’you think of my _new birthday present?_ ”

“ _That’s_ what you did to _treat yourself?_ You made a _shitty hat_?” She giggled. “Wow, Taako. I was expecting–-I dunno, _a new feather boa,_ or something.”

He glowered, pulling the brim slightly over his face. “Well, it’s _my hat_ and I love it, _dear sister._ Your birthday has made you _profoundly rude._ ” His tone was mocking, just slightly, but also a little playful. “Asshole.”

“You won’t think I’m so shitty once you see… … _this!!_ Happy birthday, Taako!”

“It’s my birthday?” Taako started, and Lup frowned for a split second before he took a look at the cake. It was almost an exact replica of their aunt’s recipe from so long ago, only this one was just for _him._ He got to blow out the candles and she cut the slices, purposefully helping herself to the piece that had his name on it. They laughed about it; she flicked frosting in his face and he ducked under the hat and complained.

When he revealed that he’d bought her a lipstick she’d had her eye on, her eyes went wide and full with tears as she held him close and wrapped him in such an incredibly strong hug he wasn’t sure his fragile bones could survive it or whatever. She gushed to him for about ten minutes about how she was always looking at that color, but it was so _fuckin’ fancy,_ and she knew Taako didn’t like to _buy such fancy things,_ she didn’t _deserve such fancy shit,_ and how did he _know_ well _of course_ he knew because they _were twins,_ after all, and he smiled.

“Yeah, yeah,” he shrugged, voice cracking with the age he was, “it’s like, practically nbd.”

“ _Thanks,_ Taako,” she said sincerely, and let him rest his head in her lap as she carded her fingers through his hair.

“Thank _you,_ Lulu. I… I can’t believe I got _my own cake._ ”

“You should’ve in the _first_ place.”

The silence bothered them both, but it was okay.

They had each other.

“I love you, Koko.”

“I love you, Lulu.”

And that was that.

 

* * *

 

On the day Taako became an adult, he was busy studying. Transmutation really seemed like the school of magic he’d devote himself to; he’d thought a lot about it. Changing one thing to another. It would be useful to change objects into food. It would be interesting to change his jewelry into something more glamorous. It would be fascinating to find practical applications for _half_ the shit in these books, and he was _so_ into it. Plus, if she were up for it, maybe he could help Lulu, too. Couldn’t change birth order, he thought, but that was silly.

She was studying, too, evocation. And he liked that for her, but it worried him. She liked fire too much; she always had. Now that she was given an excuse to start to harness it, he wondered if-–well, _fuck._ If she might fucking _hurt herself,_ honestly. She’d probably be _dead_ without him, he thought sometimes, because Lup was somehow so careful but so _bafflingly impulsive_ and _carefree_ all at once. That was a worthwhile contribution to the world if anything. Saving Lup from herself.

He was wrapped up in thought when she dropped a present on his desk, alongside with a new fabric for his hat (she found _leopard print? Hella_ ) and thread.

“Happy birthday, _you big ol’ nerd!!_ ”

“ _You’re_ the nerd. Don’t think I don’t _catch_ you studyin’ those _science books_ sometimes.”

“…You study ‘em too, Taaks.”

“ _Not_ the point. Anyway, I–-I almost forgot it was my birthday–-”

She sighed. “Taako, you always _forget–-_ ”

“Because I got you _this!_ Happy birthday, _you even older dweebazoid from outer space._ ”

He plopped the present on her desk with flourish and aplomb. Hers was wrapped with fire engine red paper, the way she liked it, and his was wrapped with pink. When they both ripped them open, of course they were magic wands. Of course they both got each other the same kind and everything, but it would become attuned to their _personal_ essences.

Of course they both flipped their lids, even though they knew this was coming. He made some wisecrack about how she was just gonna have to try not to burn the whole school down, and she hit him on the arm playfully, snorting. She told him he’d have to try not to make everything he tasted resemble key lime gogurt which got a scoff, but he was amused that she thought of key lime gogurt at all and he wondered if it was possible. Just a temporary spell.

Maybe he’d look into it later.

For now, they were thankful.

“I love you, Koko,” she snuggled up against him.

“I love you, too, Lulu,” he promised.

Many things would change, but not that.

 

* * *

 

On his last birthday, Taako is so old.

His hat is filled with patterns and textures and colors that mismatch.

He’s forgotten because that’s what old minds do. Someone takes care of him during the day, listening as he rambles on about adventures of the IPRE long ago, listening as he prattles on about the Story and Song. A very nice man greets him and sleeps with him at night and he knows this man is his husband, and that his name is Kravitz because he tells him so with patience and love. He is told often that he is loved, and that is a blessing.

He had many things to miss, once, he thinks.

He doesn’t remember them anymore, except for that one time–-

They dance before him like the flames on his cake.

He can’t blow them out. Kravitz leans over and politely does so. He eats his cake. It has his name on it. Someone who looks like him, but isn’t–-is his _sister,_ he’s reminded–-helps him eat it and clean up after himself. A nice man in bluejeans named Barry does too, and he enjoys all these young people and their company, and he tells them so.

That night, when he goes to sleep, it’s time.

The soul leaves the body and he has so much clarity now. He remembers everything, absolutely everything, and he feels so light and right as Kravitz swoops him away into the afterlife with his favorite pink roses and kisses and Lup and Barry both cheer for him.

“Happy birthday, Taako!!” She screams with delight as Kravitz and Taako make out.

“Happy birthday, Lulu!! Shut up, though. I’m trying to kiss _my man._ ”

“I love _everything,_ ” Lulu says happily.

“I love all of you, too,” Taako admits, mildly embarrassed.

They are his most precious gift of all.

**Author's Note:**

> HI GUYS. i wrote this for Twins Week on Tumblr!! the prompt was Fav Twin, and mine is obviously Taako from TV. :3 i hope it's good. okay, i love u all, thanks for reading and supporting. bye.


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